The invention relates to a multimedia communications terminal as claimed in the precharacterizing clause of claim 1.
Until now, telephones have been the most widely used communications means, but multimedia communications means have been used increasingly in particular since the introduction of the ISDN network. To achieve this, multimedia communications terminals are required which can be used to detect and reproduce not only voice but also video images. The ergonomics of a multimedia communications terminal are subject to particular requirements, especially in public communications facilities such as telephone boxes. Such facilities are used by people with widely differing body sizes. However, it should be possible for the video camera to detect them all, and allow them to monitor the visual display unit easily. This is particularly difficult in a confined telephone box, in which the user stands closely in front of the communications terminal.
Multimedia communications terminals of said type which satisfy the requirements mentioned above are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,045 and DE 42 36 665. Both terminals have a base housing which at the same time acts as a free-standing base and on which a moving housing is mounted via a cantilever arm. The moving housing is mounted on the base housing such that it can pivot about a shaft running parallel to the front edge of the base housing. The moving housing is thus fitted not only with the visual display unit but also with the video camera, so that these functional elements can easily be matched to the body size of a user, by pivoting the moving housing.
However, the assembly formed by the video camera and the visual display unit in a moving housing has disadvantages, which are particularly apparent when the visual display unit is designed to have a touch-sensitive surface as a so-called touch screen. When touched by a finger, it is impossible to avoid the moving housing vibrating, and this vibration is necessarily passed on to the video camera. However, this leads to the video image jittering at the receiver end of a communications link.
The object of the invention is to propose a multimedia communications terminal which is equipped with the functional elements required for public communications facilities, and in which the video camera is decoupled from vibration of the visual display unit.
This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.
In this case, the visual display unit is installed in a front surface of the housing and a channel for accommodating at least one fully cylindrical body or body which is cylindrical at least in the area of the channel, is formed above the visual display unit in the communications terminal. The video camera is installed in the fully or partially cylindrical body, and a rest for the telephone handset is integrally formed on it. In addition to the rest, a card reader for credit cards or telephone cardsxe2x80x94which may be smart cards or magnetic strip cards or a combination of bothxe2x80x94may also be installed in the fully or partially cylindrical body.
The multimedia communications terminal is thus equipped with all the functional elements required in public communications facilities and necessary for sound and video communication or else, in addition, for non-cash payment for the communications services used. The arrangement of the visual display unit and the video camera in separate housing parts has the advantage of vibration decoupling between them. The vibration protection is also assisted by the compact design of the communications terminal since no cantilever arm is required for the connection between the housing and the fully or partially cylindrical body, which would together form a system which could oscillate mechanically. Nevertheless, the video camera and the visual display unit can still be moved relative to one another. To this end, the fully or partially cylindrical body is mounted in the channel such that it can rotate about its longitudinal axis, which coincides with the axis of the channel.
In a development of the invention, the fully or partially cylindrical body projects beyond the housing on at least one side, and the rest for the handset is integrally formed on the projection, or the card reader is installed in it. This has the advantage that the connecting cable for the handset can hang down freely alongside the housing. The same applies to a chain or strap fitted on the telephone cardxe2x80x94young people in particular frequently protect their telephone card against loss in this way. Furthermore, the card reader and thus one of the projections accommodating the latter can be dispensed with entirely for toll-free use of the multimedia communications terminal, for example in the private domain or when used as a service telephone. This can be done particularly easily with a modular design, which will be described in detail further below, of the fully or partially cylindrical body comprising a central body element, a left-hand projection and/or a right-hand projection. The projection which accommodates the card reader can then easily be omitted. It is self-evident that a hook switch is also installed in the rest for the handset.
The fully or partially cylindrical body preferably projects beyond the housing on both sides, with the card reader being installed in one projection, and the rest being integrally formed on the other projection. There is then sufficient space for the installation of at least one loudspeaker, the video camera, a microphone for a so-called hands-free function and an indicating device for the status of the communications terminal in a central area of the fully or partially cylindrical body, located above the visual display unit.
In a development of the feature mentioned above, two loudspeakers, which form the basis of a stereo reproduction system, are installed in the central body element of the fully or partially cylindrical body, and at least the video camera is arranged between them. Since a user unconsciously positions himself in the correct hearing position in front of the communications terminal, this virtually automatically results in him being aligned in the correct position for the video camera.
In one preferred development of the communications terminal according to the invention, the fully or partially cylindrical body is subdivided into at least two body elements which are arranged axially alongside one another and can be rotated independently of one another about a longitudinal axis which they share. The subdivision is preferably carried out in such a way that the fully or partially cylindrical body is subdivided into a central body element forming the central area, a left-hand projection and a right-hand projection. In consequence, at least the visual display unit, the video camera, the rest for the handset and the card reader can be adjusted freely with respect to one another in accordance with the requirements for wall mounting or table-top mounting of the communications terminal, and in accordance with a user""s body size.
In order to allow the user to position himself at the correct height for the video camera relative to his body size, in a further preferred development of the invention, a handwheel is arranged at at least one end of the fully or partially cylindrical body and is connected to the central body element such that they rotate together, in such a manner that rotation of the handwheel allows the central body element to be rotated relative to the left-hand projection, relative to the right-hand projection and relative to the housing.
Since the rest for the handset and-the card reader need to be adjusted only once, depending on the ergonomic requirements, for wall mounting or table-top mounting of the communications terminal, the left-hand and/or right-hand projection can be rotated relative to the housing and relative to the central body element, and can be fixed in the set position in such a manner that it cannot be moved from this position from outside the housing.
Further features and advantages of the invention are evident from the following description, which uses an exemplary embodiment to explain the invention, in conjunction with the attached drawings.